Mobile gun-carriage.



A. F. MASURY.

MOBILE GUN CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 191s.

Patented Feb. 25, v1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i.

A. F. MASURY.

MoBlLE GUN CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTA. 1918.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.:

.'Z SHEETS--SHEET 2.

"mnu IHM'.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

ALFRED F. MASURY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 INTERNATIONAL MOTORCOMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

MOBILE GUN- CARRIAGE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 19194 Application led September 4, 191B. Serial N ci.252,545.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALFRED F. MASURY, a citizen of the United States.residing in the borough of ll'lanhatt'an rof the city of YewA rl`hisIinvention relates to trucks or trailers on which light field artillerycan be transported quickly from place to placeand it has for its objectto improve the construction'of such trucks or trailers'in varionsparticulars with a view to insuring the maximum rigiditv of the truck ortrailer when it is used as a platform from which the gun is tired and tomake it possible to remove the gun and its mount readily and quicklyfrom the truck or trailer so that it '.can be set on a preparedemplacement. rl`he invention will be more fully explained hereinafterwith reference to the accompanying drawings in which it is illustrated,and in which-- Figure l is a view in side elevation of the improvedtruck or trailer ready for use as a gun platform for firing. but withthe gun and' its mount removed:

Fie'. 2 is a view ot' the same in end elevation. with the trailer bodyin section.

Fig. 2j is a top view of the same, the braces at one side being brokenolf to save space.

Figs. 4. and 5 are detail views of the side braces.

Fig. o is a partial view similar to Fig. l.y but on a larger scale andwith a portion of the gun mount and its securing devices in position.

Fig. T a top view of the parts shown in Fig. o.

The truck or trailer ma \v be ctmstrlufted7 cxe'ept as hereinafterindicated. substantially as usual. having a frame with longitudinalmembers rl.. transverse members (the latter heilig extended beyond thelongitudinals #land front and rear axles f on which are mounted thewheels- (luier longitudinals c are secured to the inner longitudinals f/and to the inner\cross'members 7j. so that; the longitudinals H, and cand the cross members /1 form a I lnitary, rigid y'frame (ln this mainframe may be secured by massive bolts one at. each corner, asupplemental frame which preferably comprises frame members g and aheavy steel plate IL. The flanged gun mount z', shown in part in Fig.ti, magyv be secured detachably to the plate L by a series of .clamps orclips J, the clamps or clips overlapping the flange -z of the mountwhile the bolts L" pass through the clamps or clips and the plate L, theholes in the latter being indicated at /zy in F ig. 7. On loosening thebolts u the clips can be made to release the flange of the mount so thatthe gun and its mount can be lifted from the plate L and set on apreviously prepared em placement. 0r, if the ground surface is such asto make it more desirable, the gun, the mount i, and the frame and platey, L, can be released entirely from the frame a, c, of the vehicle andplaced upon the ground, providing a platform of substantial extent.

lf the exigcncies of service require that the gun be fired from thetruck or trailer as a platform. it is necessary to brace the truck ortrailer rigidly and to relieve the wheels as much as possible oftheweight and shock. To permit this to be done readily and quickly there.are provided braces m. preferably two foreach side and preferablyhollow. as indicated in Figs. l and so as to lsecure both lightness andstiffness. At the outer end each brace, 'm is provided with a foot n.adapted to the inclination of the brace. for the purpose of giving toeach brace a proper footing on the ground. llach brace 'm is placedinposition h v heilig passed inward under the outer longitudinal c on thecorresponding side of the trail( and is then engaged at its inner endwith the corresponding inner longitudinal fl. Such engagcment may beetl'ected in any convenient manner. .\s shown` the brace is providedwith a finger `m which is passed through a lwrforatcd bracket of,secured to the corre,- sponding longitudmal o, the linger m having ahole in to receive a retaining pin mi. as shown particularly in Fig. 2.For the purpose of transferring the weight and shock `from the wheels ofthe trailer or truck lo the ground through the braces wl. wedges U areprovided and are driven in between the braces H1 and the overlyinglongitudinals c. fluide plates In" may be .secured to cach brace tomaintain the wedges' in aliuenienl with the braces /n and pins o" mav bcpassed through the Wedges and the guide plates for the purpose ofretaining' the Wedges in position. Y

For the purpose of further supporting the trailer body while it is inuse as a gun platform, there is provided for each corner of the trailerbody a suitable jack p, the head prof ywhich engages a dove-tailedsocket b which is secured to the' corresponding outer cross member?) ofthe. frame, the headof `the jack being slipped into the socket. Jfromone side. At its lower end the jack p engages a dove-tailedsoelret p2secured to a broad foot p3 which rests upon the ground. Preferably .eachjack is inclined somewhat, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and Y6, and thesockets t".

and p2 are correspondingly inclined. With the shock of firing the jacksyy) might jump out of the sockets and for the purpose ot' preventing thisaeha-in or other flexible re-A tainer r is passed around the axle @andaround each` jack p and is provided at s with a suitable takeup device,so that, when the parts are in position, the slack ca'n be taken out ofthe chain fr and the jacks p held securely in position. I

It will be understood that although the several improvements abovedescribed have been designed with particular reference to their conjointuse and cooperation,` never'- theless,' some of such lmprovements arecapableof advantageous use Without the others.

'It Will also be understood that various changes in details ofconstruction and arrangement can be made to suit different conditions ofuse.

I claim as my invention: f

1. In a mobiley gun carriage, the combina'- tion of a Wheeled mainframe, a suplemental frame comprising frame members and a rigid plate,means to secure the. supplemenm tal frame -to the main frame, andreleasable clips to secure the gun mount to the supplemental frame.

2. In a mobile. gun carriage, the combination of a Wheeled main framehavin g inner 4. In amobile gun carriage, the eombin'ation of a wheeledmain frame having inner and outer longitudinals, side braces adapted toengage the'inner longitudinale, Wed es interposed between theouterlon'gitudina sand the braces to transfer the Weight of the Vframefrom the wheels to the bra-ces and means to retain the Wedges inposition.

5. In a mobile gun carriage, the combination of a Wheeled mam lframe,3aeks located at the corners of the main f1ame,.dovetailed socketssecured to the main "frame to receive the heads of the jacks and feetwith dovetailed sockets to receive the lower ends of the jacks. i 1

6. In -a mobile gun carriage, the combination of a Wheeled main frame,jacks loca-ted :at the corners of the main frame, a flexible 'retainerassed about a portion of the carriage` an( the jacks, and means to takeup., the slack of the retainer to hold the jacks in;

position.

7. In a: mobile gun carriage, the combination of a Wheeled main frame7inclined jacks at the corners' of the frame, inclined sockets to receivethe heads and lower ends of the jacks, a exible retainer passed Yabout aportion of the carriage and the inclined jacks, and means to take u theslack of the retainer to hold the jac s in position.

This speciiioation signed this 30th day of y August A. D. 1918.

ALFRED F. MASU-RY

